This invention relates to a washcoat for applying a catalyst coating to a catalyst support, especially a metal catalyst support. The metal support is usually in the form of a honeycomb which has passages for the flow of gas. The metal honeycomb is used in catalytic converters for automobiles and in catalytic incinerators, which burn out pollutants in a stream of air.
A metal having a composition suitable for a catalyst support is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,999. Metal honeycombs suitable for catalytic converters are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,576,800 and 4,598,063 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 905,071 , now U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,553, entitled "Metal Honeycomb Catalyst Support Having a Double Taper". The cited patents and the cited application are hereby incorporated by reference into this disclosure.
The present washcoat includes alumina and also the catalyst metal, so that the catalyst coating is applied in a single step. The washcoat is intended especially for catalytic converters for automobiles.